age guides

BabyMamma93

Mummy of a Easter baby
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Do you follow age guides on toys for your LO.
for example, if your child is 2 would you buy them a toy with the age 3+
 
We don't; we usually look at the toy itself and evaluate if it's something she'd be interested in, and whether it's safe enough for her to have.

She's got several things meant for older toddlers and hasn't had a problem with them. :)
 
I think it depends on your child. If at 2 they still put everything in their mouth I wouldn't but if they know to use a toy car properly and not bite the wheels then sure
 
Not at all. Actually, I never even really look at them. The age guides on toys actually aren't at all about what developmental age they are appropriate for, generally speaking, but about whether the company has paid for the extra safety testing to have them certified for children of a certain age (usually under 3). Getting a toy approved for age 3+ is much easier and cheaper and carries with it a lot less liability than getting a toy approved for under 1s or under 3s. So most toys that companies design to market to say 1 and 2 year olds, actually say for 3+, because they know people will still buy them for their under 3s anyway without them paying for all that additional safety testing and approval. So the age guides themselves aren't necessarily developmentally accurate anyway. They're just set by product marketers based on how much they want to invest in a particular toy in terms of safety testing. Obviously, things that say 6 months to a year probably aren't going to still be appropriate for most 3 year olds, but a lot of toys for 3+ will be appropriate for 1 and 2 year old, so it is just a rough guide. I mostly just look at the toy (and the price!).
 
I use the age guides to get an idea of what is marketed to kids my daughter's age (just to get some ideas for gifts, usually at Christmas) But no, I don't necessarily follow the guides when I buy her things. I look more at the toy itself to determine if it's appropriate for her.
 
I use the ages as a starting point when I'm looking, just to see what sort of things are recommended for that age group. But I make my own choice based on suitability as I see it, rather than what the box says.

The shop assistant in Early Learning Centre did tell me off for picking something for my two year old niece that said 3+ though! I just said to my OH "if you see something nice let me know, don't worry what age it says because she's quite good with older toys" and the assistant called across the shop "no you can't! The ages are there for a reason!" and sounded really angry! So we just left without buying feeling embarrassed lol x
 
i dont follow them either, i do look to see if there is anything that could pose a danger and if so i wont buy it (or remove the thing that would)
we bought M a tool bench and a noahs ark, they were both 3+ but the tool set didnt have anything really that would pose a danger for M, the bols would have fit in his mouth but if its not food, it usually doesnt go in there anyway, the noahs ark had small doves with it, we just took them out more so because they would have been lost anyway within 3 seconds.

the toys im talking about had to go back anyway as something broke in them, my OH auntie said just dont let them know you bought them for M bcos they could refuse refund if they were played with by a 1 year old when the age is 3+. not sure how true that is
 
I never used to use them but a friend of mine consistently buys my child toys which are 'too old' for him and he genuinely struggles to play with them which always ends up in a tantrum so I'm starting to but would still be guided by the individual toy
 
No. Thomas still plays with 6 month toys. If he likes it then I will get it.
 
I buy what I think he will get the most use out of as long as it doesn't pose a danger. And what MindUtopia said is correct as far as I know… about the safety testing. I would say most things my son plays with are 3+ and he's good about not putting things in his mouth, but I will stay cautious of toys that are fragile (could break into tiny parts) and have magnets or batteries that he could get to.

Kids over age 3 still put things in their mouth occasionally even if it's not a typical thing for them to do, but you can't restrict them to baby toys forever.
 
No, we never had. Our kids have had lego from 18 months. Sophie still plays with some baby toys also.
 
No, we never had. Our kids have had lego from 18 months. Sophie still plays with some baby toys also.

this was my next question, what about lego.. i was going to just introduce it and see how he is, obviously supervised. i have boxes and boxes of lego (big boxes, its all older than my OH so cant be given away) i have no imagination for it but OH would sit and play with it all day.
 
I make my own judgements really, if I think it looks suitable and safe for them then I'll get it no matter the age.
 
not really, depends though lo has books which might be enjoyed by an older audience but she likes them too.

toys lots o toys are marketed for 3 and up if they got smaller piecees in it..
 

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